Buddha Images for Each Day of the Week
When you visit temples in Thailand, you may notice a line of Buddha images in different poses. Each image reflects specific events in the life of Buddha which occurred on different days of the week. In Thailand, the day of the week on which you are born is considered important and so Thai Buddhists may [...]
Releasing Animals to Make Merit
In Thailand, many Buddhists believe that releasing animals back into the wild can help an individual to accrue merit. The act of releasing animals has its roots in the traditional rural communities. In the dry season, rice fields and small ponds would dry out and some fish, turtles and other aquatic creatures would become trapped [...]
Big Buddha Ko Samui
If you are flying to Ko Samui, keep an eye out for the largest Buddha figure on the island which is clearly visible as you come in to land. For a close up view, visit Wat Phra Yai the temple which is home to the Big Buddha and overlooks Bangrak Beach (also known as Big [...]
Wan Khao Phansa
The day after Asahna Bucha is another important day in the Buddhist calendar. The day is called Wan Khao Phansa and marks the beginning of the three-month long period known as Phansa which is the Buddhist retreat period and is sometimes referred to as ‘Buddhist Lent’. The Phansa rains retreat marks a period in the [...]
Asahna Bucha Day
This public holiday in Thailand marks the day when the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at Benares in India over 2,500 years ago. The exact date of the holiday is determined by the waxing moon and the lunar months, but is usually held in July. The Buddha preached his first sermon at a deer [...]
Visakha Bucha Day
The holiest of all Buddhist holidays is commemorated on the full-moon day of the sixth lunar month (known as the Visakha month) which normally falls in May. Three defining events in the life of the Lord Buddha all took place on the Visakha full-moon day: he was born, 35 years later he achieved enlightenment and [...]
End of Buddhist Lent (Awk Phansa)
Today is a public holiday in Thailand marking the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent period and the traditional end of the rainy season. The final day of the Buddhist Lent period falls on the full-moon day of the eleventh lunar moon and is known in most parts of Thailand as Awk Phansa, although there [...]
